"They got (Randy) Moss, and they're not paying him anything. So if he doesn't work out, all you lose is a fourth-round draft pick. You got Wes Welker, a nice slot guy, a nice return guy. You got Donte' Stallworth. … He's a guy who can flat run. (Linebacker) Adalius Thomas is legit defensively, and they've always been a smart defensive team."

The fear is that the often-petulant Moss could disrupt the Patriots' chemistry. It's a compelling point, considering that when Terrell Owens made headlines for criticizing Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb and the Eagles organization, some of the New England players never thought the team would take a risk on such a player.

"The question has been posed, 'How would you guys treat something like that?' " fullback Heath Evans says. "Well, it wouldn't be just me. It wouldn't just be (linebacker) Mike Vrabel. We wouldn't let anyone talk to our quarterback that way. We wouldn't allow anyone to disgrace our offensive coordinator or head coach that way. But then again, (the Patriots) would never bring a player like that in here.

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